The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-06-27
Religion and Amusement.

IL Is strange now little mouern TO-
ligious leaders seem TO realize the inti-
mate relation which exists or should
between religion and amusement, sand
how utterly they fail Of availing them
selves Of pleasure to advance ethical
truth. The religion Of the ancents
was so intimately interviewer with the
texture Of his daily life that he was
hardly able to conceive Of the existence
Of either apart from the other. A fes-
tival was As closely connected with the
theology Of the times as was service
in the temple. and only differed in its
relations to the gods in being less SOL
emn and less explicitly an art Of wor-
ship. Dance and theatrical represen-
tation began with libation and sacri-
fee, and il the Greeks were provided
with multitude of deities which must
have been somewhat bewildering even
to the most devout they at least set
apart nothing either of place or circum-
stance in which they did not see deity
actively present.
The same Is undoubtedly true of the
early Christians, although the stress of
persecution under which they embrace
the new doctrines left to them little OF
that pagan joyousness which had too
often degenersted into freedom which
no ethical code, however broad, could
be stretched to cover. They went about
with their lives in Their hands, and
it is hardly too much to say that the ex-
ternal gloom of the youth of Christian
ity has left trace of outward solemni-
by which from being natural effect OF
surroundings has come to be little bet
ter than superstition. To-day. after
centuries checkered with tolerance and
persecution, there exists deep-seated
and illogical feeling that joyo usness. if
not positively unchristian, is at least I'M
spiritual The early Christians proba-
bly, had no theory ON the subject Re-
ligion was the one vital fact Of life for
them, and they had no need to consider
ethical subtilities of demeanor.
To emphatic dwelling upon the prone
ness OF the human heart to evil and
upon the difficulty of inducing men to
cleave to right things, developed after
some generations the evil notion that
since man unwillingly chose good what
ever was disagreeable to him must be
his duty. Puritanism, with all its brave
heroism Of goodness, was thoroughly
saturated with the idea. The stern
souls of our ancestors delighted in en-
hancing the terrors and difficulties OF
The heavenly way, therefore enhancing
in their minds the worth and joys Of
the celestial rewards TO be won at last.
The latter reaction Of to-day, instead
Of discriminating between the essen
ials and the accidents OF Puritanism,
has endeavored to reject the whole to-
gether. The sensuous side OF human
nature unnaturally repressed, has risen
in revolt and demanded everything;
and religion which desires to reach or
to hold the doubters Of the present
generation must reckon with this fact.
The Roman Catholic church has al
ways, to wide extont, taken the sem
,uous side into account 1t has had
The amusements Of the people under
its control. or at least it has taken cog
nizance of them positively instead of
negatively. 1t has carefully guarded
against the growth of that idea wherein
lies one of the greatest dangers which
menaces tho Protestant church to-day,
the assumption that religion was one
thing and the conduct Of daily life an
other. The church which has share
in the amusements Of its people is meet
ing them upon the most persuasive
| footino BOSTON Courier.